Friday, June 10, 2011

Jekyll and Hyde

Summer is a time for recuperation -- for relaxing and re-centering oneself after a long year of school. For me this summer holds even more importance due to the fact that I will be leaving for Sweden in August. This summer represents a time for me to base myself, to find an anchor I can ground my mind in and prepare for the trials ahead. Because of this I find that my musical tastes vary widely in the sizzling, humid Georgia summers -- from abstract new age to bluegrass I touch on all musical styles. Mostly though, I see themes of slower tempos and more relaxed sounds rise to the surface. So this posts strays from the beaten path as I explore some less commonly frequented sounds.

Opening today's post is Greenland based M&Ms. A virtuoso with ambient and classical tastes Martim, aka M&Ms, has taken the definition of epic mixes to a whole new level. Weaving together floods of classical, lo-fi, and electronica music Martim effortlessly controls the energy and dynamic flow of his hour long masterpieces creating an ocean of musical emotion that ebbs and flows at the whim of its creator. Beset with achingly beautiful minimalist string pieces and dotted with shamanistic influences that manifest into the whistling of spirits and the call of otherworldly beings, Martim does justice to the psychedelic Ayahuasca potion this mix is named after.

I suggest finding a quiet, isolated space to listen to this track in. Close your eyes and let it take you.

I can see the road up ahead! Based in Los Angeles Jennifer Lee began her musical career as a young classical pianist before moving forward in to the rich world of digital production where the fusion of all areas of music boosted her into a dazzling career of superb musical production.

Are we back on the beaten path yet though? Not likely, Breathe on my Contacts by the venerable TOKiMONSTA, is a trip of its own -- taking the fast-paced lo-fi Just Breathe by Telepopmusik and conjuring up a, dare I say, even more chill version that respects the original mood of the song while taking it's ethereal heights to a new altitude. An accentuated bass beat, slower tempo, and plenty of reverb work in unison to send this originally down to earth piece rocketing in to the far reaches of deep space.

If you remember from my last post I reviewed another track collaborated on my LGWBB. Yes, the same artist two posts in a row, I know, but trust me IT'S WORTH THE LISTEN. I never cease to be amazed by the sheer diversity in the sounds and style LGWBB harnesses in his productions. At this point I'm going to start referring to him as a sound engineer rather than an artist, his mastery of production is truly out of this world.

Working in tandem with another fellow Russian artist hvnrd, the duo have built a aural landscape reminiscent of the old SEGA handheld. I imagine this is what Sonic The Hedgehog 2 would sound like if it was both made of hip-hop and comprised of pure awesome. Old school synth soundbtyes and a grandiose beat backed by electric organ turn this beatrumental in to a strangely arousing(oh god) cross between a 80's porn soundtrack and roots video game overture title. An interesting(and funky!) combination to say the least.

Ok, we're in the high grass now. The IP Group, a musica/visual/theatre art project based in Poland, has created a multimedia music performance dubbed Lila Negr inspired by Alexander Vertinsky, a Soviet singer, poet, and cabaret artist deeply entrenched in traditional Russian art. This track is an excerpt from the whole performance and features only the music part. The dark minimalist elements emphasized in the piece were full of raw emotion and set the atmosphere with clarity through the powerful lack of huge sounds. I'm usually not a fan of abstract pieces but this one was exceptional. Check it out and let me know what you think of it!

Finally, on a lighter note, is the german based group Schlachthofbronx. A heavy hitter in the Bass genre, they have released a killer EP on Maddecent this year named Nasty Bass EP from which this track is originally from. Infused with copious portions of horns, cumbia style beats, and south american tropical influences this European group brings the latin heat and brings it hot; great for parties, better for beaches, awesome for the car on hot summer days. Make sure you watch Schlachthofbronx for more big drops this summer, there are bound to be more groovy hits like this on the way.